Still construction and the like



AUS- 1, 1939. c. F. PoLLEN 2,163,272

STILL CONSTRUCTION AND THE LIKE Filed July 15,l 1955 esmas-sheet 1 Aug. l, 1939. v cjF.vPoLi l-:N

STILL CONSTRUCTION AND THE LIKE Filed July l5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 duced in the furnace chamber.

Patented ug. l, 1939 UNITED STATES STILL CONSTRUCTION AND1 ITHE LIKE charles F. Pollen,

Winnetka, Ill., assignor to M.

H. Detrck Company, Chicago, Ill.;l a corporation of Delaware Application July 15,- 1935SerialfNo. 31,303

18 Claims.

This invention relates-generally to furnace construction, and pertains particularlyA to improvements in large stills of the kind employed for the cracking and distillation of petroleum. In such stills the oil is passed through banks of tubes' which are exposed Within a furnace chamber, for the purpose of subjecting the oil to the desired temperatures. Some `of these tubes arearranged to receive radiant heat from the re that isI pro- K Others are ar.- ranged more particularly for transfer of heat from the Vgaseous combustion products by convection. The furnaces or stills in which the heating fuel is burned and the tubes subjected to heat are customarily built of or lined with bricks or tiles made-of re clay or other suitable refractory material.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of an improved construction for the convection section of such stills.

A more particular object is the provision of a construction whereby the thickness and weight of the refractory wallor walls of the convection section may be very materially reduced, and at the same time said walls maintained tight and in proper alignment both Vvertically, and horizontally and in proper association with the tubes of the convection section.

Another object is the provision of animproved construction for the convection section,` for oil stills which will have the advantages above indicated and which is quite simple in construction and may be built throughout of refractory tiles Vof but two diiierent sizesY or shapes.

Yet another object is the provision-of improved construction for the convection section of oil stillsfwhicliwill facilitate. the erection ofv the convectionsection refractory walls and the repair thereof, as well as. thedismantling of the Walls for inspection of or access vtotheconvection tubes..

Other and further. objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon employment of the inventionin use.

For Apurpose of explaining the invention, I illustrate in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter describe, Aone form in which it may be embodied. It is-to be understood, however, that this is presented merely for purposeof illustration, and is not to be construed in any fashionl calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 ,is a shortened part.longitudinalsectional elevation of astill containing a convection'section constructed in accordance with the invention;l

Fig. 2is a detail, ona largers'cale, showing a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of the convection section wall .and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is apart horizontal section through al portion. of the convection section, same'being taken on approximately line 3 3. of Fig. v1;

Fig. 4 is an outerside. elevational View of a portion .of the convection section-wall; Y

Figf5 .is aV detail, on .a larger scale, of aportion of Fig. 3; and

Fig.` 6 is -a-perspective -view of a form of refrace tory tileV which may be employed in ythe construction.

In said drawings.. the reference numeral I0 designates.r the front wall of the furnace or still chambenzl I` the `roof of same,land I2k one of the sidewalls. As will-be readily understood, there is ,a correspondingside wall opposite the Ywall I2, which wallscustomarily are about 28.feet apart, so that the internal width of the, furnacechamberY isgapproximately, 28 feet. The chamber is iiredthrough its walls by means of a plurality of burners such asA indicated at I4, the combustion of fuel taking place within and the heat and productsof combustion being. confined `within the chamber formed by the vside walls, roof, end wall I0'. and the correspondingend wall at the other extremity of the chamber.

Banks of tubes Ilareexposed within the furnace chamber, said tubes extending transversely through it and through the sidewalls and being connected to. appropriate headers, so that oil may be suppliedto and passed through them. 'Ihertubes I5iare thus eXposedlto the re in the furnace chamber, so that heat may be transferred to the oil which theyV contain.

Ihe stillis provided-withone or more convection `sections spaced klongitudinally of the chambery from the burners I 4. Where a convection sectionis located, the oor IB'of the furnace is interruptedbyv a passage I 'I which usually extendsthe full widthof the chamber and forms an outlet for` passage of combustion` gasesfrom the furnace chamber to a iiue passage below the floor, whichv iiue passage leads to the stack. Over this outletpassage I.,'I are disposed banks of convection tubes I8, which-convection tubes, like the tubes I5, extend acrossthe furnace chamber and through the side walls and have suitable connection, as by headersv and the like, for supiplying oil to them. At intervals transversely of the furnace chamber, tube sheets I9 are disposed in parallel upright relationship above the passage II. Said tube sheets' are made of suitable metal qualied to withstand high temperatures, and at their bottoms they have flanged foot portions I9a which rest on the furnace floor or foundation. They are provided'with apertures which accommodate the tubes I8, and which serve as supports for said tubes. Their vertical margins may be provided with laterally extend-` ing flanges ISD (see Fig. 5).

Along the sides of the convection tube banks and the passage II are disposed the convection section walls, which are indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. These walls extend entirely across the furnace chamber, from one of its side walls to the other. These walls may be built up for the most part of refractory tiles of the form shown in Fig. 6 and designated elsewhere Yon the drawings by the reference numeral 2 l, together with baffle tiles 22. These tiles preferably are of relatively small size in their dimensions of width and thickness, e. g., ve and onehalf inches by three inches. Their broader side faces are each provided with a series of projec tions 2Ia interspaced by seats 2lb, a series of projections 2| c interspaced by seats 2Id, and a series of short marginal. projections 2Ie interspaced by seats 2If, the projections on .one side being opposite corresponding seats on the opposite side. Their narrower side faces are provided each with a series of projections 2Ih interspaced by seats 2I g, the projections on one of said faces being opposite the seats on the other. These projections and seats extend parallel to the end faces of the tile, and they occupy something over one-half the total length of the tile. At a suit- Y able distance from one end, the narrower side faces are grooved across as shown at M and N, tc form shoulders 2Ig and 2I7c, said shoulders being of approximately the same width, but the shoulder 2Ikbeing inset from its side of the tile, whereas the shoulder 2I is approximately ush with its side of the tile.

The bafe tiles 22 are similarly formed with projections and seats, but they are not provided with the notches and shoulders, and are somewhat' longer than the tiles. 2`I.

The walls 28 are Vbuilt upof courses of the tiles 2| and 22 laid as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the projections 2 Ih and seats 2Ig of tiles in the same course being intermeshed and the other seats and projections of the tiles in adjacent courses being intermeshed. Course by course, the tiles are inverted, viz., in the rst course the tiles are laid with their shoulders 2li; to the right, the tiles of the second course are laid with their shoulders 2I7c to the right, the tilesin the third course are, laid with their shoulders 2I7' to the right, and s0 on, the shoulders of the superimposed. tiles all being in alignment vertically. Consequently, the vertical joints between the tiles of one. course are staggered or offset with respect to thevertical jointsbetween the tiles in the courses subjacent and superjacent thereto. Y Accordingly, eachtile is intermeshed with two tilesvin the subjacent course and two tiles in the superjacent course.

Because yof the intermeshing of the projections and seats of the tiles, all of the joints through the wall are tcrtuous. The projections are somewhat narrower than the seats, and to ll the resulting voids the tiles are dipped with a thin slurry of iire clay before they are laid up. This filling material is friable when dry and accord- -l and 2, to prevent the hot gases traveling directly downward along the wall. The elongated end portions of the tiles 22 are cut, where necessary, to accommodate the tube sheets I9 and the flanges I9b thereof.

The walls 20, assembled as above described, are

- erected along the sides of the tube banks in parallel relationship thereto and along the margins of the tube sheets. The flanged vertical margins ISD of the tube sheets may contact the proximate ends of some of the wall tiles, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. In the course of the erection of the walls, rods 24 are insertedbetween the tube banks at appropriate horizontal and vertical intervals, said rods carrying anchor members 25 at their ends. The rods 24 rest on the tubes, and the anchor members 25 are accommodated between the shoulders of. juxtaposed tiles 2| and havel laterally projecting flanges 25a which engage behind the shoulders of the juxtaposed tiles,

as seen in Fig. 5. p The arrangement permits the anchoring means to shift vertically with respect to the tiles, the tubes, and the tube sheets. The rods and anchor members thus serve to anchor the walls in parallel association with each other and the tube banks, and, if desired, hold some of the tiles against the margins ofthe tube sheets I9. This is accomplished without imposing the weight of the tubes on the tiles or the weight of the tiles on the tubes and without subjecting the anchoring members to strains incident to vertical expansion of the wall. 'Ihe rods and anchor members are formed .of appropriate metal having the qualities requisite to withstand high temperatures. Y

Accordingly, it will be seen that the walls 2D are maintained in proper association withrthc tubes I3 throughout the entire horizontal and vertical extent of said walls by virtue of the fact that the wall tiles are intermeshed with one another both horizontally and vertically and the courses interlocked longitudinally of the wall, the tube sheets acting as spacers for the walls and preventing abutment of the Vwalls against the tubes. It will be appreciated that if the convection section is adjacent the end wall opposite that invwhichwthe burners are positioned, a similar construction may be employed, the end Vwall of the furnace serving also as onejof the convection section walls.

In the operation of theA still, the fuel fed by the burners is burned in suspension in the fur-v nace chamber, the tubes I5 being subjected to the radiant heat of the flames and the heat of theburning gases. The burned hot gases enter atthe top of the convection section and pass downwardly between the walls 20, heat being transferred from the gases to the tubes I8 and the contents thereof, and the gases pass out through the passage I I into the flue conduit below the furnace floor.

The construction above described provides a comparatively thin yet at the same time very tight wall for the convection section. In the constructions heretofore employed, it has been necessary to buildthe convection section walls quite thick in order to prevent leakage through Y them and to hold their shape under thermal expansion. The convectionsection walls are subjected to the furnace heat 4on both sides, although the temperature on the sides toward the convection tubes will be considerably lower than that on the outer sides. Inasmuch as in my construction each tile extends through the entire thickness of the wall and each is exposed to heat at both its ends, there will not be as great a heat differential through a tile as there would be in the thicker wall constructions in which the respective tiles are exposed to the furnace heat on only one end. Accordingly, my? construction avoids distortion of the wall from thermal expansion and reduces the likelihood of fracture of the tiles from strains resulting from unequal expansion of the wall and large temperature differentials in respective tiles. By use of my construction, moreover, a very considerable amount of space in the furnace chamber is saved for combustion, particularly in installations which contain two or three convection sections. Accordingly, the furnaces may be made materially shorter without reduction of combustion space.

Furthermore, substantial savings in material and cost of construction are effected as compared with former installations, not only in the wall itself, but also in the foundations for the wall, and dismantling of the wall for repair or for access to the tubes is greatly facilitated.

What I claim is: l. In still construction and the like, the combination with upright tube sheets for positioning the still tubes, of refractory walls extending along the margins of the tube sheets and built up of refractories having intermeshing engagement with one another, and anchor means engaging end portions of some of the refractories in the opposite walls and holding the walls in engagement with the vertical margins of the tube sheets.

2. In still construction and the like, the combination with upright tube sheets for positioning the still tubes and arranged at intervals and in alignment with one another, of refractory walls extending along the vertical margins of the tube sheets and built up of tiles which have projections and seats extending transversely of their faces, the projections and seats of the juxtaposed tiles being in intermeshing relationship and anchor means engaging end portions of some of the tiles in the opposite walls and anchoring the 3. A construction as specified in claim 1 and wherein at least one of the walls is in the nature of a bridge wall within the still chamber and each of its tiles has an end exposed at each side of said wall.

4. A construction as specified in claim 2 and in 'which the tiles in some of the wall courses are longer than those in othersl and project between the tube sheets.

5. In still construction and the like, the combination with upright tube sheets arranged at intervals and in alignment with one another for positioning the still tubes, refractory walls extending along the vertical margins of the tube sheets and built up of refractory tiles having their contacting sides formed with projections and seats in intermeshing relationship so that the joints between the tiles are of tortuous form through the major portions of the walls thickness, and anchoring means engaging end portionsoffsomefof the tiles in the opposite walls and'holding'the walls in engagement with the v vertical margins'of the tube sheets.

'16. A construction as-specied in claim 5 and in V.which the tilesin some of the wall courses project between "the tube sheets!` j 7. A construction as specified in claim 1 andin which the anchoring means are movable relative to the tubesand tube sheets.

8. In still construction, the combination with upright tube supports arranged at intervals and in alignment with one another for supporting the still tubes in approximately horizontal position, of a refractory wall extending along upright margins of the tube supports and built up of tiles arranged in courses, the adjacent tiles having portions in intermeshing relationship' with one another, some of the tiles havingshoulders at their ends adjacent the tubes, and anchoring members engaging shoulders of some of the tiles. and means holding said anchoring members against movement transversely of the tubes, to retain the wall in association with the tube supports, the tiles being shiftable vertically relative to the anchoring members to .accommodate expansion.

9. A construction as specified in claim 8 and' wherein the wall is within the still chamber and each of its component tiles extends entirely through the wall and has an end surface exposed Vat each side of the wall.

1U. A construction as specified in claim 8 and in which the wall is within the still chamber and each tile extends entirely through the wall and has an end surface exposed at each side thereof, the tiles in some of the courses being longer than those in others and extending between the tube supports.

11. A construction as specified in claim 1 and wherein the tiles are arranged in courses and each tile has intermeshing rengagement with two tiles in the subjacent course and with two tiles in the superjacent course.

12. A construction as specified in claim 8 and in which each tile has intermeshing engagement with two tiles in the subjacent course and with two tiles in the superjacent course.

13. In still construction and the like, the combination with a bank of horizontally extending tubes and means for supporting them, of refractory wallsl extending along opposite sides of said tube supporting means, said walls being built up of tiles arranged in courses, and anchor members supported on thel tubes in horizontal and vertical spaced relationship to each other and inter-engaged with end portions of tiles in the opposite walls to retain the walls in parallel relationship and in engagement with the tube supporting means.

14. A construction as specified in claim 13 and wherein the tiles in the respective walls are arranged in intermeshing relationship and the anchor means is siftable vertically relative to the tubes.

15. A construction as specified in claim 13 and wherein the tiles in the respective walls are arranged in intermeshing relationship and each tile is exposed at both sides of the Wall.

16. In still construction and the like, the com-v along the opposite upright margins of the tube` supports and built up of refractory tiles having projections .and seats arranged in intermeshing relationship, and anchoring members spaced y from eachother longitudinally and vertically of and are shiftable longitudinallyof the tubes and .vertically relative to the tube supports.

18. A construction as speciedin claim 16 and wherein the anchoring means are arranged at intervals longitudinally and vertically of the walls and are shiftable relative to the tube supports and tiles.

CHARLES F..1=OLI.IEN` 

